Dark Crow Rising

"Joining in, are we?" I ask Vapooliar for the sake of talking to someone. She looks at me and smiles as she pats down the clothes she was given for the occasion. Even if she is wearing a pair of grey, orange-striped short shorts. I'd still rather have them than this weighted, knee-length skirt I was given.

She also has a hooded jacket of the same colours to wear, I'm bare-chested... When I asked for something physical to try my magic at, I didn't expect this!

I play with the patterned leather and the dangling bits of golden decoration. So many decorative doodads for a simple sports festival. It probably doesn't help I am so pudgy in comparison to everyone else here in this waiting area. I've not a single spot on my body where I am muscular.

But, even with all their strange, bulbous mutations and hard, bone-like limbs and joints. These aelenvari men are built out of solid bricks which still look flimsy compared to Vapooliar. I frankly feel embarrassed just looking her way in the slightest. I've had it right up against me before, but, damn...

Completely and utterly solid.

Though, for all my insecurities right now, I am just glad I was allowed to keep my right arm covered up. The shape is still there, little glints of it can be seen where the bandages stop by my shoulder... But, it's hidden away. That's all I care about.

I spot the right spiteful gaze of the most decorated of all the men here. I keep my eyes on the ground and try to ignore him as I feel two boreholes appear on my body. Does he hate the fact that my skirt is the second fanciest here? No, those eyes don't strike me as the petty kind...

"Mmmmmhmmm." Vapooliar hums with a smile as she stretches her legs out in front of me. I look around slightly and see all the gazes looking at her. Right now, she's like a well-feathered, rich man's bird showing off its plumage. I am struggling to look away myself, admittedly.

I stare at her stone-built thighs and legs and try to inspect the many small scars across them.

She scowls at me, "You've had plenty of time to look at women. Don't start looking at me now when we're doing something that demands your full attention."

I blink at her serious tone and nod as I look away, I don't know how involved she is, but she looks like she wants to win badly. Which might be bad for me, maybe. I've seen what she can do, I've been right next to her when she's done it. How is anyone going to do well with her here?

My head is suddenly tapped.

I shake it and look up at the one responsible, she offers me a hand and I accept it. Pulling me right up, I stare back at where I once was. I felt really light for a moment, it was weird. Vapooliar smiles at me once again as she gestures for me to follow her out into the noisy outside.

The heavy wooden doors keeping us from the event open up and the once-muffled noise breaks through with tremendous force. My head moves back as I take in the screams, whistles and all other kinds of girly noises. Vapooliar ends up dragging me out into the open and I can't take my eyes off of what is now behind us. A bright rainbow of so many different colours on a series of seats that are as wide as the valley itself.

I'm barely getting over my bewilderment but many of the aelenvari men are already flexing their strength. I blink at all that is happening around me and I subconsciously scoot closer to Vapooliar. There are so many aelenvari here, condensed into just a few rows of reinforced wood and glittering metal. Regardless of why it is actually the case, I am now fine with the roots not being here.

The scale of it all is quite impressive, even more so with how short notice everything was. All this woodworking to accommodate the breeding-addicted population of the flower. I look away and blink again at what we are supposed to be lifting. I thought Rose-sweerui meant logs on their own or something...

These are gradually and increasingly colossal full trunks with massive, dark chains and spikes throughout. They start small, but the largest ones are as tall as towers! They want us to carry that? Can I!?

Only one word really comes to mind, "Wow."

Feeling a sudden quiver in my legs, I look down and try to stop them from shaking so much. To think this all started as a series of lessons for me so I can learn magic. Now it's a thing as big as this and all just to show off the power within everyone's massive guns. Everyone here is a bodybuilder of the most dedicated kind and I am just...

Skinny, little me.

I slightly turn up to the woman responsible for all of this and am a bit perplexed by how cold her gaze is. Our eyes meet, but she looks away elsewhere, up on her designated throne. I look to the ground as a strange feeling makes me feel hot and cold at once. A danger signal of some kind.

She's been like this since that incident in her tent. I didn't do anything to hurt her, but, I was scared when I snapped out of suddenly having yellow, hexagonal vision. I'm not sure what it was and it's not the first time it's happened, back with Vapooliar in the mountain... My right arm twitches nervously.

I shake my head as I need to remain focused like Vapooliar said. So I turn to focus on what everyone else is looking at as some lightly and barely armoured thorns drag something in. It's a dark, rattling set of objects that become clear in purpose when they enter the light. It's a massive iron chain!

I don't think I can even hold a single link in my hand, I'd need to use my arm just to wrap up a single looping bar!

Nervously drumming my fingers on the skirt, the thorns drop the chain down and walk away exhausted. I turn to Vapooliar as a bright emerald light starts to shine from her hand. I stare at the orb in her palm as it pulses with hair-raising magic power. The crowd somewhat goes quiet and the Ivy-Mother steps to her points with a glowing forehead.

She nods as her gaudy, rose-red dress sparkles in both the Orbital-Halo's light and her own. Two of the aelenvari men then march out to either side of the chain. Suddenly, dirt erupts as Rose-sweerui's hand lashes out at it with magic. Growling, the men stab their points into the ground and pull.

The massive chain snaps into the air with enough force to disturb the flattened grass below!

Vapooliar walks off to the edge of the valley and I follow her slightly, "I am somewhat disappointed."

She leans on one of the larger bound logs and her bare foot taps the bark. Some of it flies off as she scrapes her heel effortlessly along the crusty, dark wood. She switches feet again and again. Patches of pale, tree insides open themselves up to my eyes.

"Why are you disappointed?" I ask as I start to swish my skirt about just to keep myself occupied. I fiddle with the modest weight keeping it down and then leave it alone.

"I have been asked not to fully participate directly against anyone. There are concerns that I might neuter any interest the petals and stems might have in the males. I am too strong for my own good for once in my life... I know and understand they need to have as many children as possible, boys, especially. But, I just wanted to take part, really." she explains with a mixture of quiet tones.

"Why not face off against me? I'm not important to their baby-making." I offer with a slight smile, laughing it off a bit. She smiles but shakes her head.

"You really are... But, anyway, Gilded-Bark Oak'endoor wants to face you directly. He has the support of the Ivy-Mother as well, so, it will be best for me to just go along with their wishes." she elaborates to me as she stops messing with the bark. I raise a brow at her initial comment.

"Endoor?" I ask as I want to assume it's another honorific the aelenvari use. I am guessing it is similar to Rose-sweerui's 'lhia' bit? Though, hearing the Gilded-Bark's actual name sounds weird. But, I suppose I am too used to hearing the title rather than his name.

Everyone just speaks his title mainly.

"It means 'born from the branch of,' if I am recalling it correctly. The male equivalent to the female 'lhia,' meaning 'born under the petals of' or something to that effect." Vapooliar clarifies as she looks over at the aelenvari. I find myself focusing on the slight smile she has on her lips.

"So, the men are named after trees and the girls are named after flowers?"

"Yes." she answers, nodding once.

"Sounds confusing. What do they do if they get lots of people born by the same plant? Or a species of that plant? Hundreds of say... Daisy'lhias."

"I don't see how different it really is to how we do it. You're bound to meet someone with the same name as you at some point. Though, back home, one's job sort of becomes a surname in and of itself. Yeah..." she explains, quietening down as she reaches the end.

"I just have a surname, Urtuan!" I chuckle out slightly as Vapooliar frowns miserably to herself. She looks away at the ground and she shakes her head.

"Have you ever met another Nin?" she asks and I shake my head instantly.

"Never met another Nin, actually, my name ain't too common."

"Oh." she goes.

"How about you? Ever seen another Vapooliar?" I ask but she looks away.

"If I remember it all properly, aelenvari do change the name slightly based on who is the cream of their newest generation. The Ivy-Mother, for example, her name is Rose'lhia as you already know. If they're simply not up to the standards of the ivy-mothers tending to them in the gardens of the garden-monts. Then their name is altered. If there is another Rose here, then she'll likely be Ros'lhia, Ro'lhia or White-Rose'lhia and so on." she starts to explain and I just go along with it.

She rubs a hand through her short hair as I look back towards the competition, "So I will be doing a tug-of-war against Oak'endoor?"

"Yes, though, bear in mind to call him the Gilded-Bark. I don't want you to get in trouble." she answers and cautions, I nod in response.

"Any chance of me winning?" I change the topic too.

"I cannot say, you are all far too weak when compared to me. The differences between you are too minute for me to comment on." she shrugs without a hint of condescension.

"Helpful." I chirp bemusedly.

"But I wasn't...?"

"Don't worry, Vapooliar. Just know I am going to completely embarrass you in this thing." I tell her before joking.

"You'd be more likely to embarrass yourself if I go with what I know of you." Vapooliar jabs innocently as silence returns to us. We watch as the chain is dropped again and again until it is seemingly my turn. I gulp as that time comes.

I stare over at the dead silent crowd and the towering man coming into open view. The distant wall of chairs light up with excitement of all kinds and the noise loudens to a point incomparable to before. Screams of delight are everywhere and I feel my anxiousness return. Vapooliar's hand touches my shoulder.

"Good luck." she whispers close to me as she pushes me forward slightly to get me moving. I nod back at her and keep on going for the chain as the most important man in the flower stands by it. His eyes drill into me the whole time and I try to keep my gaze to myself. But, taking a deep breath, I try to face him.

I don't like it, but, everyone here thinks of me as Champion. I stare at his bulky, well-built arms and his hands which are more than enough to properly grab one of the chains. This is it, the Champion versus the greatest man of this flower. Who knows how it will go...

Me against the top man of this place... In the shade of the mountains about us and under the light of the gods above.

"Good luck in making sure my arms don't break?" I quietly ask myself as I look away from the Gilded-Barks arms and towards the chains.

"Despite your title, you are a failure." he goes suddenly and I feel uncomfortable.

"P-Pardon?" I ask as I start to suspect he means my escape from the mountain.